digging (into) vintage: Jean Desprèz Bal à Versailles, 1962

Bal a Versailles went right over my head when I first tried it. It seemed like an old-school, animalic/powdery floriental. Whether you like that sort of perfume or not, the balance of the elements is crucial. I thought Bal a Versailles just missed that balance—not enough powder to hide the skank. But as I eased into it, I got it. The powder isn’t meant to hide the skank, merely accomany it.

If I didn’t put it into the Genre-Box, Bal a Versailles came into just the right gauzy focus. Sweaty, decrepit, unashamed.